I Transmigrated Into the Game as the Luckiest Extra

"Whew…"

I exhaled, my breath scattering into the shimmering haze. The battlefield stretched before me, a desolate canvas of cracked earth and scorched stone, blanketed in a fine, golden dust that glowed faintly under the morning light. The colossal moth lay defeated, its immense body stilled. Its braided wings, once a masterpiece of luminescent art, were now shredded husks, still leaking fragments of light that dissolved into the air like expiring embers. The entire island felt quiet, drained, as though the land itself had held its breath and only now dared to release it. A single, broken wing, larger than a house, lay half-submerged in a crater, a silent testament to the fight.

Elric Vales had collapsed where he stood, his reserves of magic completely drained. The boy had burned through everything to stay alive, his face pale and his breathing shallow. Around us, the overseers who had been monitoring the exam had also fallen unconscious, overcome by the soporific effect of the dust. Their auras, so strong moments ago, were now no more than faint flickers. The poison-like properties of the golden dust had overwhelmed even those seasoned heroes, proving that even the most powerful could be brought low by an unexpected force.

I alone remained steady. My lungs ached slightly, a familiar discomfort that was nothing compared to the deep, bone-weary exhaustion I had felt in my past life. But thanks to the system's protective functions, the ethereal poison could not invade me. It was a simple function, a basic defense against status effects, but in this moment, it felt like an impenetrable fortress, a shield separating me from the fate of those around me. I rolled my shoulders, grounding myself in the physical reality of the moment, and began walking forward.

Toward her.

A lone figure crouched at the monster's side, her posture a picture of focus and serenity. Her pale fingers were poised above the glowing golden clumps embedded in the moth's ruined wings. Her movements were careful, reverent almost, as though she wasn't a cadet scavenging but a priestess retrieving sacred relics. The sight of her in the middle of a war-torn battlefield, untouched by the chaos, sent a cold shard of ice through my veins. This wasn't coincidence. This was an ambush.

My lips curled into a thin line. "Bento."

The woman froze, her hand inches from the dust. Slowly, she turned, meeting my gaze with calm eyes that carried the faintest glimmer of amusement. Her expression held no fear, only a strange, unsettling curiosity.

"So you saw through it," she said, her voice a soft, melodic hum that felt strangely out of place in the devastation.

"I knew it the moment you appeared," I said, my voice low and laced with a quiet hostility. "There's no way I ever had a sister. Your disguise was perfect, but the emotional overplay gave you away. No one is that calm or that sentimental in the middle of a monster's dying breath. You overplayed your hand."

Her smile widened faintly. Not denial. Acceptance. It was a smirk that acknowledged my perception, a quiet nod of approval that made my skin crawl. She wasn't trying to trick me anymore; she was testing me, and I had passed.

"You're sharper than most, Kael Vi-rel," she murmured. "That makes you interesting."

She scooped up the golden dust, letting it shimmer in her palm. Light spilled between her fingers, glimmering like stolen starlight. The air around her pulsed with a faint, contained energy. Then she extended her hand toward me, an offer I knew I couldn't refuse.

"Take it. Consider this… an investment."

I narrowed my eyes, my gaze fixed on her. She had come here for this specific purpose, to acquire and then gift this substance to me. Why? The question was a loud, demanding roar in my mind, but I chose silence. I reached out anyway, my fingers brushing against her cold palm as I seized the dust from her grip. The golden motes pulsed faintly in my hand, thrumming with restrained power. The moment my hand closed around it, a familiar, translucent screen flashed in my vision.

[Unique Passive Skill: Anti-Properties activated.]

[Scanning foreign energy…]

[Scanning complete. No harm detected. System-approved.]

The instant I took it, her figure began to blur. Bento's outline warped like smoke dissolving into the wind, her form becoming indistinct and ethereal.

"Until next time," her voice echoed faintly, already fading into the golden mist.

And then she vanished. The battlefield was quiet once more, the only witnesses a handful of unconscious students and heroes. I tightened my grip on the glowing dust, its warmth seeping into my palm.

The overseers, shaken but alive, soon stirred and began the long process of assessing the damage. The monster's defeat was confirmed, and the points were tallied. Twenty points each were awarded to the four cadets present. Smartwatches were collected before the survivors boarded the ship back to Nexus. Out of the thousand who had entered, only about seven hundred cadets remained. The cost of survival was high, a grim reminder of the real dangers that awaited them.

The ship carved across a sapphire sea, its hull gliding through the gentle waves. The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue, and the air was crisp and salty. I stood at the bow, leaning on the guardrail, the salty wind tugging at my hair and the taste of salt on my lips. The world, so loud and chaotic just hours ago, felt completely still.

I fiddled with my smartwatch, my mind replaying the final moments on the island. The moth, the dust, the enigmatic woman who called herself Bento.

"Hey."

I glanced sideways. Selene Whitmore approached, her auburn hair brushing against her cheeks in the sea breeze. She looked less like a battle-hardened mage and more like a normal girl, her expression one of genuine curiosity.

"What," I said flatly, pulling my attention from my thoughts.

She pursed her lips, a slight frown on her face. "How did it end?"

"How did what end?" I asked, playing dumb. The less I revealed, the better.

"The fight. I don't remember much after the middle," she said, scratching her cheek as though annoyed by her own lapse. "Elric Vales told everyone it was his magic that shredded the monster's wings. That's a lie, right?"

I smirked faintly. "Maybe."

Selene puffed her cheeks, glaring at me. "You're impossible. Always vague. Can't you just say things clearly for once?"

Her pout deepened, and for some reason, it made me chuckle. The sound slipped out before I could stop it. "You did well, though."

Her head tilted. "…What?"

"You held your ground against that thing," I said, meeting her eyes. "Not many cadets could have managed that. I noticed."

The words hung in the air, casual to me, but they hit Selene Whitmore like a physical blow. Her eyes widened, and a faint pink colored her ears. She turned away quickly, pretending to fuss with her sleeve. "Tch. Compliments out of nowhere… Don't think that makes you less annoying."

I smiled faintly, but my thoughts were already elsewhere. The sea blurred in my vision, replaced by the image of Bento's smirk as she handed me the golden dust, her body dissolving into mist.

What was her goal? Why give it to me?

The question gnawed at me, heavier than victory or points. She didn't just want to be an enemy; she wanted to be an influence. An investment. That word echoed in my mind, promising both great power and unseen dangers.

Back at Nexus, the academy grounds buzzed with relief. The somber silence of the ship was replaced by the noise of a thousand students. Some cadets celebrated their survival with laughter and plans for the weekend; others retreated in silence, nursing private wounds. The difference was stark. Those who had survived were either broken or determined, but none were the same.

I sat alone at the small table in my dorm kitchen. In front of me lay the golden dust, carefully unwrapped from its cloth. It still glowed faintly, as if it contained a miniature sun. I had taken care to hide it from prying eyes, a secret that was mine alone. The thought of this power, this strange gift, made my heart beat a little faster.

"What do I even do with this…" I muttered, staring into the swirling motes of light. The power hummed, a low, constant vibration that only I could feel.

A system notification glimmered faintly in my vision:

[Moth Golden Dust] — Attaches to a target with magic power and awakens their hidden potential.

I tapped the table lightly, my mind reeling with the implications. "Awaken potential, huh. Should I use it on someone else?" The motes shimmered, silent, offering no answer. The possibilities were endless, but so were the dangers. Could I trust someone with this? Could I even trust myself with this kind of power, knowing what it could unleash? The world I had come from had been destroyed by men and women who craved power, and I had no intention of repeating that mistake.

I sighed, wrapping the dust carefully in the cloth once more before slipping it into my bag. It was a secret I would have to keep, a burden I would have to bear alone. "For now… it stays with me."

Outside, the academy bell tolled, its sound echoing across the city. A new chapter of training awaited. Yet in the back of my mind, Bento's fading words lingered like a curse.

Until next time.